1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to data disk drive systems and more particularly to processes for automatically configuring such systems for a variety of disk formats.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In electronic computer technology, it is common to store data in binary form on the face of a rotatable disk. The face of the disk is coated with a magnetizable substance such as iron oxide. The disks are operated by rotating them like phonograph records and the binary data is encoded upon, or retrieved from, the face of the disk by a movable magnetic transducer device called a read/write or transducer head. The binary information is encoded on the face of the disk in concentric rings, called tracks, and the read/write head can move radially along the disk face to select a particular track to record or retrieve information. Data disks can be rigid or flexible.
The most popular type of flexible or floppy disk is the 51/4 inch size floppy disk. However, these disks may be formatted in several different ways. The IBM PC AT or comparable computer generally uses a 51/4 inch floppy disk which is formatted at a track density of ninety-six tracks per inch (TPI). The IBM PC AT uses high data rate ninety-six TPI disks which are formatted at five hundred Kbits/sec at three hundred sixty rpm. Another type of ninety-six TPI disk by NEC is a low data rate ninety-six TPI disk and is formatted at two hundred fifty Kbits/sec at three hundred rpm. Older computers, such as the IBM XT PC use 51/4 inch floppy disks formatted at forty-eight TPI. The IBM PC AT disk drive is able to distinguish between the high data rate ninety-six TPI disk and the older forty-eight TPI disk.
Recently, Konica Technology, Inc. has developed a 51/4 inch floppy disk which has embedded servo data and is formatted at four hundred eighty TPI. A more detailed description of this four hundred eighty TPI disk and disk drive system is given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,310, issued April 25, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,370, issued February 9, 1988. There is a need for a process for enabling a disk drive to automatically configure itself to these and/or other various 51/4 inch floppy disk formats.